Motion transmitting means



April 15, 1941. P. HODGES 2,238,644

MOTION TRANSMITTING MEANS Filed Dec. 4, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Alt ney April 15, 1941. P. HODGES 2,238,644

MOTION TRANSMITTING MEANS Filed Dec. 4, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2.

Inventor Pe llerenflodge Patented Apr. 15, 1941 2,238,644 a a MOTION TRANSMITTING MEANS Pelleren Hodges, East Bridgford, England, assign- I i or to Standard Machine Patents 00., a coparte nership composed of Lancelot James Hodges,

Herbert Kennewell, an

ingham, England 11 Pelleren Hodges, Nott- Application December 4, 1939, Serial No. 307,540 In Great Britain December 5, 1938 6 Claims.

In textile machines and apparatus it often occurs that there is some part which needs to be driven along a path that takesit among a multiplicity of textile threads, the presence of which renders it difiicult and often impossible to impart a constant driving effort to it. If, however, said threadsor certain of them may be caused to pass through an air gap, on one side of which is the part to be driven and on the other side of the other series. Thisintermittent mechani. cal drive may be obviated by, the exerciseof the present invention. s

Therefore, according to an important subsidiary feature of this invention, a braiding machine of thetype comprising a support for a of which there is the means for driving it, and

if some'driving force of a non-physical nature may be caused to span said air gap, this difficulty is overcome. According to this invention, magnetic force is used for this purpose.

Therefore, as viewed from one aspect, the

present'invention provides a textile machine or apparatus of the type in which a thread supply traverses a path intercalating among lengths of thread and in its passage hasits thread withdrawn from it, characterised in that the driving connection between said thread supply and driving means for it is afiorded by magnetic force, and in that there is an air gap between said driving means and the supply or a part connected therewith across which air gap the magnetic lines of force extend and through which air gap said lengths of thread, or certain of them, pass during said traverse.

There are two chief applications of this aspect of the invention. One is to looms, for driving the shuttle or shuttles, especially the shuttles of circular looms. The other is to braiding machines. In braiding machines at least two sets of threads moving in opposite directions are caused to wind in and out among each other, with-a kind of Maypole effect, and the diiiiculty of driving at least one of the carriers for the supply of one of the sets of threads (a difficulty which is overcome by the present invention) will readily be appreciated, since great ingenuity has hitherto been expended .in devising various mechanical drives with varying success.

In one form of known braiding machine there are two circular series of bobbins, which series rotate relatively in opposite directions, and means are provided for deflecting the threads running from the bobbins of one series to one side or the other of the bobbins of the other series. Heretofore relative rotation has, been effected by establishing intermittent mechanical connection with the carriers for the bobbins of saidother series, said connection with each of the last mentioned bobbins being progressively severed and re-established, while said bobbin. passes at the; outside of a thread from a bobbin circular series of bobbins or thelik'e, a circular track, upon said Support or a part associated with it, for at least one other bobbin or the like, which track is interrupted at intervals to provide openings through which the threads may run from the bobbins of the said series to the braiding point andat least one'defiector for deflecting the threads from the bobbins of said series to one side or the other of said other bobbin within the openings in the track, is characterised in that said other bobbin is driven by magnetic force as aforesaid, and in that the air gap is provided at one side of the said other bobbin, the said threads passing throughsaid air gap on their way to the braiding point when deflected to said one 7 detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich: V

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, at one side of the centre line, of said machine, and

.Figure 2 is a plan of half the machine;

In these drawings,'certain parts that arenot essential to an understanding of the invention (such for example as the take-01f mechanism) are omitted.

" In the, illustrated'construction, there are two sets or circular series of bobbins that are rotated in opposite directions; One set of thread supply bobbins I0 is carried by brackets ll suitably fixed to the outer face of a turret-like member l2 7 mounted on a central vertical shaft I3 and rotatable therearound by intermeshing bevel gears l4,

, ranged to transmit its rotational movement'to a series of carriers. l8 for a second set of thread supply bobbins l9, which carriers are suitably spaced one from another'and are mounted to have a running engagement uponatrackrace or groove 20 formed at or constituted by the upper part of the aforesaid'rotating turret I2. For example, this track may be constituted by a thickened rim at the upper edge of the turret, said rim being of triangular or inverted V-shape in vertical section, and the bobbin carriers adapted'to traverse said track are shaped to have a substantially close sliding engagement with the track.

The carriers I8 are held in their track 20 by a plate 28 which is secured to the turret I2 and is received in a suitable groove in the inner face of each carrier I8. The said plate 28 therefore serves to complete the trackway which, it will be observed, forms the sole means of support for the carriers I8.

At intervals around the upper edge. of the turret I2, radial slots 2| are cut or otherwise formed in vertical planes, which slot-s constitute thread-ways, and function in known manner to enable threads from the bobbins I travelling with the. turret I2--which may be termed the outer bobbinsto pass first to the lower side and then to the upper side of the other or inner bobbins I9 and carriers I8 therefor, travelling in an opposite direction on the track at the top of the turret. Similar slots are cut completely through the retaining plate 28 for the carriers I8. The deflection of the threads from the outer bobbins I0 for reversing the position of same in relation to the threads from the inner bobbins I9 is effected in any suitable or known manner. Advantageously, however, the traversable bobbin carriers I8 appertaining to the inner set of bobbins are provided with or formed as thread deflectors 22 for the threads extending up from the outer set of bobbins carried by the turret, said deflectors being shaped so as alternately to press threads of the outer set outwardly over or above an inner bobbin or bobbins, and guide same inwardly through one of the aforesaid slots of the turret to the inner or under side of an inner bobbin or bobbins, and subsequently guide the threads to the outer side again.

In this invention the drive is transmitted from the inner or centre rotating member I6 aforesaid to the carriers I8 of the inner bobbins I9 by magnetic means, there being no actual or physical connection between the carriers I8 and said rotating member I6. Consequently, there. is at all times an unobstructed airrgap 23 at the rear or inner side of the carriers I8 at all positions in their traverse, through which gap threads from the outer bobbins can freely. pass when moving across the threads of the inner bobbins at the inner side thereof. It will be observed that the slots 2| extend completely across the trackway 20 and that their inner ends are in position to communicate with the air gaps 23 as the carriers pass the slots.

In one arrangement permanent magnets 24 may be provided at suitably spaced intervals around the periphery of the central driving member I6 or radiating arms thereon, to which member I6 rotation is imparted as aforesaid in an opposite direction to that of the turret I2, while other permanent magnets 25 may be provided on the inner sideof each of the inner bobbin carriers I8 moving on or around said turret; the two sets of magnets 24, 25 being so arranged in relation to each other as to exert suflicient mutual attraction to cause the inner bobbin carriers I8 to travel round in unison with the central driving-member I6.

Alternatively, permanentmagnets, such as 24,

may be provided on the central driving member I6, while the inner sides or faces of the bobbin carriers I8 to be traversed may be formed or provided with soft iron pieces adapted to be attracted by said magnets; or soft iron may be provided on the central driver and .magnets on the bobbin carriers.

The deflection of the threads that run up from the bobbins I0 through the slots 2| may be effected in any suitable manner. By providing deflectors such as 22 and by off-setting the apex of certain deflectors to one side of, and those of other deflectors to the other side of, the path that a'thread would follow, between the guiding eye 26 that is preferably associated with each bobbin III, the various threads may be made to lap in a predetermined manner, each deflector deflecting in the same direction each thread that it meets. In the illustrated arrangement, however, each deflector 22 is arranged to deflect each thread to the outside (as will readily be seen when it is pointed out that in Figure 2 the plain circles within the slots 2I indicate the undefiected portions of the threads from bobbins Ill) and subsidiary deflectors are provided for effecting the inward deflection. There may be as many subsidiary deflectors as there are bobbins 10, each at a location fixed in space. If this is the case, and there is an equal number of bobbins in each series, said series rotating in opposite directions, each bobbin I9 will pass over a thread from a bobbin II] at each subsidiary deflector and under another such thread midway between successive subsidiary deflectors. The subsidiary deflectors are shown as bent members 27, but the invention is not restricted in this respect.

By the employment of a machine as before described, different weaves can be produced, so as to provide braid of varied pattern or texture.

I claim:

1. A braiding machine or the like, comprising means for supporting a supply of spaced strands; a carrier for :an additional strand supply; a trackway constituting the sole support of said carrier for movement transversely of said spaced strands, said track having laterally extending unobstructed openings therein through which said spaced strands may b freely moved laterally from one side of said'carrier to the other; means for moving said carrier on said track; and a magnetic connection between said carrier and moving means, providing a gap between the moving means and carrier for the unobstructed passage of saidspaced strands between the carrier and moving means when said strands are moved inwardly of said track openings.

2. A braiding machine or the like, comprising means for supporting a supply of spaced strands; a carrier for an additional strand supply; a trackway constituting the sole support of said carrier for movement transversely of said spaced strands, said track having laterally eXtending unobstructed openings therein through which said spaced strands may be freely moved laterally from one side of said track and carrier to the other; means on said carrier for causing. lateral movements of said spaced strands in said track openings; means for moving said carrier on said track; and a magnetic connection between said carrier and moving means,.providing a gap between the moving means for the unobstructed passage of said spaced strands betweenthe carrier and moving means when said strand ia moved inwardly of said track'openings.

3. A braiding machine or the like, comprising means for supporting a supply of spaced strands, said means being provided with a trackway and with unobstructed slots extending laterally across said trackway; a carrier for an additional strand supply mounted for longitudinal movement in said trackway; a deflector on said carrier for moving said spaced strands laterally across said trackway in said slots to cause the carrier to pass to one side or the other of said strands; means for moving said carrier longitudinally in said trackway; and a magnetic connection between said carrier and moving means, providing a gap therebetween for the unobstructed passage of said spaced strands between the carrier and moving means when said strands are moved inwardly of said slots.

4. A braiding machine or the like, comprising means for supporting a supply of spaced strands,

said means being provided with a trackway and i with unobstructed slots extending laterally across sa d t c ay; a carrier for an additional strand supply mounted for movement in said trackway; a deflector on said carrier for moving said spaced strands in said slots laterally of said trackway to cause the carrier to pass to one side or the other of said strands; an auxiliary deflector for at least partially moving said spaced strands in one direction in said slots; means for moving said supporting means and trackway in one direction;

0 means for moving said carrier in the opposite of carriers for additional strand supply serially mounted in said trackway for movement transversely of said spaced strands; a deflector on each carrier for moving said spaced strands in said slots laterally of said trackway to cause the carriers to pass to one side or the other of said strands; fixed auxiliary deflectors for at least partially moving said spaced strands inwardly in said slots; means for rotating said turret and trackway in one direction; means for rotating said carriers in the opposite direction; and a magnetic connection between each of said carriers and their rotating means, providing a gap therebetween for the unobstructed passage of said spaced strands between the carriers and their rotating means when said strands are moved inwardly of said slots.

6. A braiding machine or the like, comprising a rotatable turret having means to support a plurali-ty of bobbins for supplying a series of spaced strands, said turret being provided with a circumferential track groove and with unobstructed radial slots extending across said groove; a plurality of carriers for additional strand supplying bobbins, serially mounted in said track groove for movement transversely of said spaced strands; means on said turret intermediate said slots for retaining said carriers in said groove; a deflector on each carrier for moving said spaced strands in said slots laterally of said track groove to cause the carriers to pass to one side or the other of said stnands; means for rotating said turret and spaced strands in one direction; means for rotating said carriers in the opposite direction; and a magnetic connection between each of said carriers and their rotating means, providing a gap therebetween for the unobstructed passage of said spaced strands between the carriers and their rotating means when said strands are moved inwardly of said slots,

PELLEREN HODGES. 

